With roughly 40 percent of the Major League Baseball regular season completed, teams know where they stand. (Sorry, Athletics and Chicago White Sox). But let’s provide even the dregs with hope.
Ahead of the dog days of the season, Yardbarker MLB writers offer a realistic dream scenario for every team in the American League. (Records and statistics are through Wednesday’s play.)
AL East
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (27-39) | Wake up already | The Orioles are a massive disappointment. Their dream scenario at this point is to wake up from a nightmare and turn attention to 2026, as they’ll once again be led standout infielders Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday and catcher Adley Rutschman.
BOSTON RED SOX (34-36) | Wild-card in play, so take it | Despite having exciting, young position players and ace lefty Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.35 ERA), the Red Sox are mediocre, but their season could swing in an upward direction. Boston is in the wide-open American League, so it still has a chance to make the playoffs as a wild card.
NEW YORK YANKEES (41-25) | Win it all | Without ace Gerrit Cole (season-ending elbow injury) and OF Juan Soto (now with Mets), the Yankees have played as well as anyone could’ve expected. New York will likely cruise to another AL East division title, so the real dream scenario is to win that 28th World Series title.
TAMPA BAY RAYS (36-32) | Make the playoffs | A surprise team in the AL East along with the Blue Jays, the Rays find themselves comfortably in the playoff mix. There’s reason to believe they could stick around thanks to the emergence of third baseman Junior Caminero (15 HR, 41 RBI), so Tampa should set its sights on a postseason return for the first time since 2023.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (38-30) | Keep the star | The Blue Jays have shocked the baseball world with their competence. FanGraphs gives Toronto a 64.1% chance of making the postseason, so it should retain star shortstop Bo Bichette at the July 31 trade deadline and make a run at its first playoff appearance since 2023. — Seth Carlson
AL West
ATHLETICS (26-44) | Building with the blocks | The A’s are out of contention. However, the season will be successful if OF/DH Brent Rooker, OF Lawrence Butler, 1B Tyler Soderstrom, SS Jacob Wilson and 1B Nick Kurtz take advantage of a hitter’s ballpark in Sacramento and establish themselves as building blocks.
HOUSTON ASTROS (37-30) | Core rolls again | The Astros must get their centerpieces back on track to capture their fifth straight division crown. Houston will be especially dangerous if some combination of DH/OF Yordan Alvarez, catcher Yanier Diaz and 1B Christian Walker return to All-Star form.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS (33-34) | Ditch vets for prospects | Trading 30-plus-year-old 3B Taylor Ward, OF Jorge Soler, lefty Yusei Kikuchi, lefty Tyler Anderson and/or righty Kyle Hendricks would provide a needed prospect boost for the farm system. This, combined with the core of SS Zach Neto and catcher Logan O’Hoppe, would give the Angels hope for the future.
SEATTLE MARINERS (33-34) | Boost the offense | The Mariners desperately must upgrade their offense (.241 BA) to complement their stellar pitching. Trading for an established slugger such as Arizona infielder Eugenio Suarez, Baltimore OF Cedric Mullins or Tampa Bay 2B Brandon Lowe would give Seattle the firepower to compete for an elusive postseason berth. (The Mariners have made the postseason once, in 2022, since 2002.)
TEXAS RANGERS (32-36) | Veteran hitters come around | The pitching is outstanding, ranking third in the majors with a 3.17 ERA. They could easily make a postseason run if OF Wyatt Langford, SS Corey Seager, OF Adolis Garcia and infielder Marcus Semien produce at their expected levels. — Allen Settle
AL Central
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (23-45) | Keep building confidence | The White Sox have been competent in June, posting a 5-5 record. Chicago won’t contend for a playoff berth, but a winning month — coupled with the continued development of the young core — can only boost confidence.
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (35-32) | Jump-start Bieber, get a bat | The Guardians are somehow over .500 despite being in the lower half of the league in pitching and offensive fWAR. Landing another solid bat in the outfield and getting pitcher Shane Bieber (62-32 in big leagues) back in the second half could be what the Guardians need.
DETROIT TIGERS (44-25) | Return of pitchers keeps things rolling | The Tigers received the bad news Wednesday that rookie pitcher Jackson Jobe (4-1) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. However, pitchers Reese Olson and Alex Cobb should be back soon — if they return to form, the rotation could be one of the deepest in the majors.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (34-34) | Prospect shines and another hitter surfaces | All eyes are on prospect Jac Caglianone as he gets his first chance in the majors. Having the power hitter emerge as a viable middle-of-the-order bat would help, but acquiring another hitter with team control would make a drastic difference.
MINNESOTA TWINS (36-31) | Burton boosts ’em into playoffs | Not only has outfielder Byron Buxton (11 HR, 41 RBI) been healthy, but he also leads the Twins in many offensive categories. A healthy Buxton is a difference-maker and could lead the Twins back to the postseason. — David Hill
